South Africa is a land of varied landscapes that has much to offer the visitor. Probably the two best-known activities are viewing wildlife (often on a safari) and visiting Cape Town and the Cape wineries. We always try to do both.

Mid-October might not be everyone's choice for a trip to the lakeshore, but for us, it was ideal. Montague, Mich., is only five hours north of Champaign in an area known as West Michigan, not Western Michigan. The timing was slightly past fall peak, but colors were still abundant. The crowds were not. For three midweek days, we had the area largely to ourselves.

One of Britain's most famous ancient monuments is Stonehenge, near Amesbury in Wiltshire. Definitely, no journey into Britain's past should miss Stonehenge, one of the best-known prehistoric monuments in the world: a World Heritage Site that's an inspiration and fascination and, for many, a place of worship and celebration.

As a self-inflicted birthday gift, I traveled to the photo-friendly environs of Moab, Utah, during the last week of January. As the town's promotional website aptly puts it, "Moab will surround you with the warmth and hospitality of a small resort town at the center of some of the most stunning red rock landscapes on Earth."

It can be hard to find a relatively cheap international destination to travel to in the wintertime. This becomes even harder if you're also looking for a place that is warm, exotic and not swarming with tourists.

CHAMPAIGN — Popular travel show host and author Rick Steves will share what he's learned in 30 years of travel during a special fundraising event for Illinois Public Media at 6 p.m. March 14 at the I Hotel and Conference Center.

Pristine turquoise Atlantic Ocean waters lap the long shoreline on tranquil days. Golden beaches speckled with pink coral sand beckon to one and all. Cozy temperatures in the mid-60s at night and lower 70s in the day soothe the soul of a winter-weary Midwesterner.